Classic & Elegant Country House Wedding

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I have something totally different for you this afternoon. If you are looking for timeless classic inspiration then you are in the right place.

Daniel and Gabrielle tied the knot on the 10th May 2014 at Hedsor House in Buckinghamshire. They wanted their wedding to be classic and elegant. There was a white colour palette with navy and gold opulent touches throughout. Their décor choices were inspired by Gabrielle's vintage engagement ring, which set the tone perfectly.

Gabrielle wore the exquisite Gracie by Suzanne Neville teamed with Christian Louboutin heels and looked totally beautiful. Such a wonderful wedding day.

Thanks so much to Jay Rowden for providing the amazing imagery.

THE PROPOSAL | Christmas Day 2012. I (Gabi) am a massive Bradley Cooper fan so Dan got a 2013 Bradley Cooper calendar and pretended it had been autographed. When I looked at what 'Bradley' had written it actually said "P.s, Marry Dan!" after his signature ☺

THE VISION | In terms of style, we envisaged a classic, elegant and simple day. The main thing for us was that everyone had a good time, we wanted a party. It was all about the food, alcohol and music!

THE PLANNING PROCESS | .....was stressful - there is no point sugar coating it ! Unfortunately for Dan, I know what I don't like yet often struggle to meet the ideas in my head. I know what I like and that's that! I was told shortly after our engagement to get a wedding planner but I wanted all the details and creativity to come from Dan and I, not someone who does the same thing week in, week out for a living. You often find people's weddings look the same too - this wasn't an option for us !! In some odd way too, I felt like I would be cheating if I didn't do it all myself but I now know that's because I am bit of a control freak !!.... something I learnt about myself during the planning process haha! The hardest part of planning is your imagination - it can run wild with you and take your budget with it !!

THE VENUE | Hedsor House, Taplow, Buckinghamshire.

THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES | Dress: Gracie by Suzanne Neville. Shoes: Christian Louboutin. 'Gillian Million London' bespoke hair accessory and cuff.

Gillian and team were just so wonderful to work with. I loved visiting the 'treasure trove' of a shop in Teddington and certainly came up with excuses to pop in! I changed my mind a few times but Gillian just went with it every time and created the most beautiful hair comb and cuff from Marcesite brooches and pearls - just stunning !! Gillian also created a fascinator for my mother - again, she nailed the brief creating the most exquisite head accessory and the whole process was pain free and lots of fun.

Makeup - mum and I had our make up done by Elisa Drummond. My mum was worried about having too much makeup on and not looking natural. Being 65, she thought no one could make her look and feel wonderful (although she is beautiful anyway!) .... then Elisa did a trial and made mum look 10 years younger !! My make-up was very classic and understated yet I felt a million dollars! Elisa knew exactly what to do with my skin type and tone and really advised me on how to get the best from my features. I still use the tips that she gave me and will always be grateful to have shared the morning of my wedding with such a talented and lovely young lady. She made such a big impact by doing such beautiful make-up yet you hardly knew she was there... that's a professional for you! All the bridesmaids were pestering Elisa for tips and help with their final touch ups and Elisa never once appeared to be bothered or lack enthusiasm to help and share her knowledge. Not only is Elisa a great make-up artist she genuinely knows her stuff and I will continue to rave about the service she offers to anyone that will listen!! Although I certainly don't plan to get married again, I will definitely use Elisa for the next big event!

FINDING THE DRESS | I found my dress quite early on in the search but I only tried it on as a favour to the shop assistant initially. She said it would look "amazing" on my frame and would I just try it on for her as she was desperate to see me in it!!

Terrified that I might find another dress that I preferred I was left petrified at ever committing to one dress!!How would I ever know that it was 'the one' !!? Looking back it was easy really and actually it's the same way that you know your Fiancé is 'the one'. I couldn't imagine myself in any other dress and it just 'worked'. Gracie was made for me!! I didn't stop thinking about it... It had to be 'the one'.

GROOM'S ATTIRE | Dan wore navy tails which he hired in the end. The sizing was pretty perfect and Dan isn't sentimental about anything that he wears so I was happy for him to do what he was comfortable with. My only stipulation was that he and all the groomsmen had to wear double-breasted waistcoats. He looked gorgeous on the day ! The groomsmen all wore different waistcoats and shirts and it really worked, giving a very traditional feel to their attire.

THE READINGS & MUSIC | We had a catholic service so lots going on! Bridal Entrance: Pachelbel - Canon in D. Hymns : Morning Has Broken, All Things Bright And Beautiful, Lord Of The Dance. Readings: Book Of Genesis 1:26 - 28.31, Gospel of Mark 10:6-9, First Letter Of St Paul to the Corinthians 12:31 - 13:8. Poem - The Art Of Marriage by Wilfred A Peterson.

BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS | Olivia Shepherd (Flower Girl), Daniella Trapani, Victoria Carroll , Gemma Williamson, Amanda Luke. All wore the same navy Dessy Dress. (Olivia's was matched in colour and material and then cut to the knee). I also made the bow on her back much bigger. The girls wore navy Hobbs heals and Olivia wore navy ballet pumps; they all looked just perfect. The four older girls are quite different in their styles and comfort zones so they chose their own hairstyles which was important to me as I knew then that they would all be comfortable. Rachel Payne did a cracking job on their hair to ensure they all looked great yet had a style completely complimentary of their face and style - I had four very happy, beautiful bridesmaids and Olivia made the most gorgeous flower girl with a fab hair style too.

THE FLOWERS | My brief to the florist was white and elegant! We did spend a lot of money on flowers to be honest but it was worth it in our opinion. We had lots of large roses, lilies, peonies etc. My bouquet was Singapore orchids as they are very light and floaty. I had a trailing bouquet as my dress was organza and quite large so I couldn't hold anything 'heavy' looking or solid. The girls carried full balls of roses and the men had matching button holes. Dan's button hole matched my bouquet as well as fitting in with the boys.

THE CAKE | We wanted the cake to look like a piece of art rather than your average wedding cake. I am a huge fan of Maggie Austin from the USA so we had to find someone willing to take on the challenge to create something totally from scratch and from a vision I had created in my mind with a Maggie Austin feel. Hester from Sweet Tiers Cakes met the brief perfectly and was just a pleasure to work with. She allowed us to talk endlessly on what we were trying to achieve and guided us every step of the way. Our colours for the wedding were navy with an accent colour of antique gold. Dan came up with the idea of graduating the gold up from the base of the cake which Hester did without hesitation, only feeling happy when she had created the perfect shade and the perfect finish as she knew we hate shinny over the top things!

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER | Our videographer is a close friend so he recommended a few photographers and from the list provided there was one clear choice - Jay Rowden. We needed the professionals to work well together and they did just that and more. Not being one who finds it easy to let others manage my projects, I was initially concerned to be totally honest but I knew I had to let these guys get on and do their jobs and the finished items would be perfect... which they were!

Jay wanted to achieve the best for us was so obvious from the very start. His friendliness and communication before the wedding was second to none and by the time the wedding came and went we felt quite sad that we didn't have another event in our lives for him to capture. All natural shots, capturing individual characters and things that we would have missed forever - Jay not only captured Dan and I on the most special day of our lives, he also provided us with the most beautiful story that we missed with that blink of an eyelid that all couples do on their wedding day. The presentation box that Jay provided the USB stick in is so professional, quirky and cool - I guess that sums him up really !!

Our Videographer was Ben Marlow (KissingGate Films). No words can describe the video of our wedding other than it looking like a full on professional movie! Ben and Kate were a delight to have present at the wedding - we didn't really know they were there which is part of their secret!. Always extremely polite and friendly to everyone, we cannot thank them enough for capturing our day so professionally and beautifully. When you know you have a true genius in the room you just have to let them get on with it... so we did.

THE DETAILS & DÉCOR | There was nothing over the top about our wedding. We wanted it to whisper "classical elegance" and for the small details to speak volumes. My engagement ring belonged to my Italian great, great grandmother. It is marcasite 20 / 30's style so this provided a little inspiration throughout the detailing.

Caterer: We used Melissa Webb who was recommended by Hedsor House as part of a preferred vendor list. The minute we met Melissa she stood out massively from the competition. She is so friendly and helpful and really does create the most wonderful food. Even months on, people still comment on how good the canapés and meal were. Melissa guided us on what would work and what not and we really felt like we could trust her to provide something extraordinary...... she certainly didn't let us down. Melissa provides as much or as little of a service that is required - this is why we really liked her. I ended up having conversations about all sorts of aspects of the wedding and she never once made me feel as though she was too busy for me or appeared to be disinterested. Her staff on the day were extremely professional and friendly and could not do enough for our guests. We also had a Front of House Manager that Melissa provided (Trudy) who was absolutely lovely - just what a bride needs on the morning of her wedding, she was calm, very supportive and just a pleasure to be around and completely nailed the logistics of the day. Although not employed by Hedsor, she also made a massive difference the day before the wedding which really put my mind at ease. Its not easy when you hire a venue and have to do all the work yourself - Melissa Webb and team were key to the success of the day and definitely made my life easier the day before too. We won't hesitate to use her again for an external event.

Table centre pieces - we had a mixture of high and low which I think is very important. Gold candelabras with a ring of white flowers and white candles were our high option although antique gold items were really hard to locate. We wanted the low table centre pieces to stay in keeping with the rest of the wedding which was turning out to be a little vintage inspired in places to match my marcasite engagement ring. I sourced old gold vanity mirrors from the USA on EBay and put mixed sized chunky white candles and a mixture of old gold and dark pewter coloured ornate tea lights on them as if they were trays. We burnt the candles to give them a used look and the tea lights had a mixture of white flowers in them, mainly roses, greenery and peonies which looked beautiful! Each mirror was slightly different in shape and size which added to the vintage nod.

We wanted to keep things quite classic so had table numbers rather than names. The numbers ended up being one of my favourite items from the whole wedding! I had freestanding 3D wooden numbers made which my dad then painted. He even had a specific shade of paint created to match the navy menu cards. We also had the letters T, O and P made for the top table which worked really well. The low table centre pieces were a complete gamble, I didn't see it all together until the day but it paid off as they looked great. I knew it would work but I had to trust myself!! I also had a cream carpet laid because I didn't like the carpet in the main hall!

Stationery: This was done by a family friend as a very generous wedding gift. Kate Noble runs a beautiful design and print agency called Penn & Ink. Kate and I worked closely on all stationery which had to of course be understated yet gorgeous!! The key was going with a very thick card for the invites, from which we had lots and lots of amazing feedback. Simple yet elegant with a beautiful monogram of our initials that Kate had created. I hated the idea of a monogram initially but we ended up with a very classic and elegant design which we had debossed (special form of printing) into the top of a card to create the invite. Kate was very patient with me as I often changed my mind on finer details !!

We had individual menus and doubled them up as name place settings with our monogram debossed at the top. Again, the detail was there but very subtle. It looked as though we had our own stationery set in the end ! The individual menus were an added cost of course (on very thick card to match the invites) but I knew they would look great on the gold beaded charger plates and also added some colour to the tables in addition to the wooden numbers. Last minute, we used personalised sticks of rock as favours (originally we were going to have them on a form of sweetie table). They matched the navy pantone of the table numbers and menus and had the date through the middle.

Entertainment: We had the most remarkable magician / deceptionist called Sav who kept our guests guessing and bemused for hours during the drinks reception whilst we were having our photos taken.

The band were great - this is something else that people still comment on months later. 'Excite' offer a mixture of vocalists and instruments according to your needs. We definitely wanted the standard in addition to a saxophonist. We also wanted a male and female vocalist. We ended up with 2 free members of the band and they rocked all night long !! We cannot recommend them enough.

Cars: We wanted traditional cars so went for a matching pair from the 20's / 30's era.

Accessories: As the day drew nearer it was obvious there were going to be showers! At the 11th hour we hired 12 ivory golf umbrellas - good job because we really needed them when we came out of the church because it was absolutely pouring!! They made for great photo accessories and the ushers used them to escort people from their cars to the reception so although stressful last minute planning - it was worth it !

THE HONEYMOON | We went to Curacao, one of the Dutch Antilles Islands. Dan organised the whole honeymoon as a surprise. One of the ushers delivered my favourite Champaign and a beautiful print out of the resort on the morning of the wedding... It was a complete surprise ! We flew first class all the way and the whole experience was magical. We stayed in the most amazing resort called Baoase - we cannot recommend this place enough! The staff are second to no other 5* resort and the scenery is just beautiful. Beach Butlers are there to help you with anything you may need during the day along with many other members of staff who literally cannot do enough for you! They are exceptionally polite and friendly, always happy to recommend food and wine. One evening the chief made me a pizza even though it wasn't on the menu as he knew it was my favourite !! Although this place is shear luxury and it wasn't cheap - the staff are completely down to earth and just so friendly. We felt at home from the minute we arrived when we were met by the General Manager. Our beach view suite was spacious yet cosy with a private Jacuzzi and sun loungers on the decking. Just heaven!! We will most certainly be going back !

MEMORABLE MOMENTS | We had so many wonderful moments but a funny one was when Dan's finger had swollen in the church so his ring didn't fit!!

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES | Be prepared to do all the planning if you hire a 'blank canvas' venue. Hedsor House is wonderful however we literally had to book all the basics which you just wouldn't have to do at a hotel. Caterer, dance floor, lighting, furniture etc. Key is to use very good suppliers.

Negotiate! There is margin in everything and do not take first costs back as gospel. I negotiated on most things and saved quite a lot of money doing so. I got my £350 veil for free !!

You wont keep everyone happy so make sure that you both are at least!

Take 10 minutes to step back and take everything in... the day will fly by!

Accept that things wont go completely to plan on the day and just enjoy it. It's taken a lot of time and stress to get there so just relax and have a good time!

Make sure you get a video !!

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE |

Make-Up | Elisa Drummond

Cake | Sweet Tiers

Stationery | Penn & Ink

Hair | Rachel Payne - 07989 516104

Flowers | Richard Elder Floral Design

Caterer | Melissa Webb

Photographer | Jay Rowden

Videographer | Kissing Gate Films

Bridal accessories | Gillian Million

Production (dance floor, lights and PA system) | Class Act